Habits of Profitable Local News Sites

What makes a local web strategy successful? It’s more that just growing page views, Facebook fans and winning industry accolades. Successful Newspaper, TV, Radio…and hyper local sites…. all have one thing in common:

Lead by one person who has the absolute authority to do what it takes… to turn a profit and grow share. This one person will make or break your digital effort. Hire the wrong one, and you’ll fall behind slowly and surely. Having more than one person leading the digital charge, or leadership buy committee… never works.

Let’s dig deeper into how these winning sites operate. Since we monitor and work with a variety of local media websites in markets both large & small, we have a ton of experience to pull from. Here’s our collection of web revenue ‘best practices’ from the past 6 months. Ignore these at your own peril.

Lead by Well-Rounded Business Savvy Executive (just like traditional media business)

This leader equally serves 2 masters: consumer and advertiser

Executive in charge has personal income and job security tied to financial performance of site

Run site as profit first business, just like the newspaper or broadcast property

Run digital efforts like a start-up business

Think like an entrepreneur…NOT just a manager or journalist

Leverage power of Print, Broadcast and feet-on-street relationships to beat online-only companies

PDF & print one-sheets: brief, well designed and focused on client benefits, not site stats

3 basic packages always ready…based on client inquiry

iPads loaded with sales collateral and contract forms

Ability to take payment via credit card…using special app on iPhone or Android

In-house system to continually monitor competition and ad placements

Offer Local Advertisers What They Want

Good looking, functional business website

Get found in Google via search engine optimization

Customer email database, Facebook fans, Twitter followers

Local business video profiles; online infomercial

Ad-vertorial & services that boosts local business SEO

Is your Newspaper, TV, Radio or local media company doing most of the above? If not, we can help you get up to speed….real fast. (That’s if you’re really ready to win) Tire kickers need not apply. We’re known for our direct, blunt and highly effective methods of online revenue development. We say NO often.

So…. are you ready to get serious about online success? Contact Mel Taylor Media here.